Jesse and Rachel: Hello Again
by SitDownYoureRockingTheBoat
Summary: Rachel has graduated high school and the college life hasn't been suiting her. She's been craving some attention and a change. When she gets invited to her first college party, she runs into an old boyfriend who she has no interest in seeing. Could they make up and move on from their mistakes?
1. Chapter 1

Rachel and Jesse: Hello Again

Rachel Berry walked confidently through the college hallways that she was now familiar with. She was finally getting used to the college life, even if she was only a freshman. She didn't have many friends yet, only a few acquaintances, but she still felt as if she was on top. The only thing that bothered her was that she wasn't getting as much attention as she hoped she would. She was almost sure that everyone in college would've adored her, admiring her talent and charm, but that's not at all how it's been playing out. She doesn't hear gossip about her in the hallways, and heads don't turn when she urgently walks into the classroom. Those things were a given when she was in high school, but it never happens now. Not once has she been invited to a party, or sorority, and that's really starting to take a toll on her. She needs attention to live, which is what she has been reminding herself since her freshman year in high school. She needs somebody talking about her, even if it's about something humiliating or scandalous. No publicity is _bad_ publicity, right? She just needed something that would get the school talking.

Rachel sat down in the back of the classroom and silently took her cellphone out, hoping that there were messages waiting for her. She turned her phone on and immediately opened the text that was sent from Finn.

_Hey, How are things going? We haven't spoken in a while. Hope we can catch up. I miss you._

Rachel stared at the text for a moment then quickly turned it off. She's been avoiding him ever since he decided to join the army, leaving her to explore adulthood on her own. It may sound selfish, but she had everything planned out, and he had to go and change everything at the last second. In her eyes, it was Finn's fault that she was here. She's just been trying to distract herself, hoping that she would finally be able to forget about him.

Rachel sat through a typical class of long lecturing and notes, and was exhausted when the class finally ended. She packed her things up and slowly threw her bag over her shoulder. She was sick of living everyday on a boring college schedule, but she still has a few years left where she's forced to put it up with it. She just feels she needs a major change, and is trying to figure out a way to do that.

Rachel walked quickly out of the classroom and through the hall, when she noticed her friend, Nathan, standing by one of the windows and talking to someone unfamiliar to her. Nathan was a blonde hair, green eyed boy whom she had met in college. She probably would've been interested in dating him, if he hadn't been gay.

"Hey, Nate." Rachel approached him, smiling, and silently looked over the red-headed girl he was speaking to. Nathan smiled and leaned in for a hug, which Rachel quickly took. She slowly let go of him and sighed. "The day's not even close to being over, and I'm already exhausted."

"I hear ya," He laughed, noticing that Rachel was once again looking at his friend. "This is Sara." He said, motioning toward the red head Rachel had been curious about. "Sara, this is Rachel."

Rachel shook Sara's hand with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sara!"

"It's nice to meet you too." Sara nodded, pulling her hand away.

"I've never seen you around here before." Rachel said. "Are you a freshman as well?"

"No. I'm actually a Junior." Sara admitted, glancing at Nathan. "Nate and I met at one of the frat parties."

"What were you doing at a fraternity party?" Rachel asked, wondering if she'd be able to get into one.

"I just snuck in to mingle. The sororities and fraternities combine a lot, it's not unusual. Have you been to any of the parties yet?" Sara adjusted the strap on her book bag that hung over her shoulder.

Rachel watched and shook her head. "I haven't been invited to any. It's kind of hard to get noticed here."

"There's a party tonight." Sara said, pulling out a slip of paper and writing down, what Rachel assumed, was the address. "It's a unisex party. I think you'll have a lot of fun." She smiled and handed the paper to Rachel. "It starts at ten. Nathan's going, so if you need a ride I'm sure he'll be able to pick you up."

"Thanks," Rachel smiled graciously, folding the slip of paper and hiding it in her back pocket. "I don't have anything better to do, so I will definitely be there."

"Great!" Sara said, looking around the halls. "I better go, but I'll see you later tonight. It was nice meeting you." She was already walking away, tightly gripping the straps on her backpack.

"She's nice," Rachel grinned, silently going over scenarios in her head that could possibly occur during the party. "I can't wait for later tonight."

"Me either," Nathan said as he began walking down the hallway. Rachel followed beside him.

"What should I wear?" Rachel began wondering.

"Just wear what you have on," Nathan said, clearly not interested in helping her pick something out.

"No way. I have to actually look good tonight. There are people I need to make good impressions on." Rachel pressed her lips together, putting together outfits in her head. "I'm definitely going to wear a dress, I know that. No more skirts and frilly shirts, they make me look like I'm in kindergarten." Rachel remembered all of the hurtful things people had said about her clothes in high school. She didn't want to have a rerun of that in college. "Should I wear a black or red dress?" She asked, facing Nate. "Or should I choose a different color?"

"Well black says classy and savvy, while red says sexy and sophisticated. It all depends on what kind of impression you're going for. And the style of the dress is really important too. Are they fitted, tight dresses, or do they flare out at the bottom? Are they short or long? I kind of need to know these things to help you decide." Nathan looked forward and continued walking.

"Well, they're both fitted and tight. And the black is just simple, while the red is lace." Rachel could imagine the dresses in her head, even though she'd never actually worn them out. They just sat in her closet because she'd never had an occasion to put them on.

"Go with the black. Save the red for a holiday party. It sounds very Christmas-y to me." Nathan looked around the hallways, almost as if he was searching for something. Rachel loved having Nate to help her. He reminded her of Kurt, which is why she loves hanging out with him. Nathan is like a glimpse of her life back in Ohio, which makes her remember some of the things she misses so much.

"I'm gonna go to my dorm and get ready then." Rachel kissed Nate's cheek and started walking ahead of him.

"You're going to get ready right now? The party's not going to start for, like, 4 hours," He reminded her, looking at one of the clocks.

"It's okay. It takes me about that long to decide on the shoes I wanna wear," Rachel laughed, continuing forward.

She finally reached her dorm room and unlocked the door. She sighed and slowly walked inside, looking around. She forgot that she'd left it a mess, but she's not in the mood to clean it up. It's not like she's going to invite anyone over. Rachel closed her eyes for a moment while she leaned against the door. She couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities that this party could have. She might meet someone that she could hook up with tonight, or become friends with. Maybe even have an actual romantic relationship with. All she knows is that she is determined to look her best. She has hopes of stunning everyone in the room, and having every guy want to come up and meet her. That'll be the attention she's been so desperately craving.

Rachel pulls away from the door and walks over to her closet, looking inside for the black dress. She finds it and pulls it out, looking it over. It's exactly the way she remembered. Walking over to the bed, she lays the dress out and slips her shirt over her head. She then pulls her pants off and throws the two articles of clothing into the laundry basket. She finally lifts the dress up from the bed and slips it on. Rachel walks over to the mirror and checks herself out, remembering the reason she bought it. It fit her perfectly, hugging her body in all the right places and highlighting her assets. She stared at herself for a while, observing the dress from all angles, then walked back over to the closet to pick out the shoes. She chooses a plain black pair of heels and steps into them, instantly giving her height an extra 4 inches. She then plopped herself down onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling, suddenly realizing how tired she is. _College is exhausting,_ she thought to herself, while playing with her bracelet.. _But I have to get ready for this party. If I look good, I might actually start getting more people to notice me, and of course I want that. I'm talented, and determined, and I've been told I'm attractive. I'm long overdue for some extra attention. S_he stood up and walked over to her dresser, pulling her curling iron out from one of the drawers. She plugged it into the wall by her nightstand and let it heat up. She then began curling her hair loosely, so it look like she put in effort, but not too much. She finished up her hair and then moved on to her makeup, which didn't take long since she kept it pretty simple. It was just a simple college party, and she didn't want to walk in looking _too_ prissy.

She played on her phone for the last few hours until she got a text from Nathan letting her know that it was time for the party. Rachel quickly hopped up and walked outside of her dorm room. She locked the door then ran down flight of stairs to Nate's car, quickly sliding into the passenger seat.

"I'm so excited!" Rachel squealed, buckling up. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this to happen."

Nathan laughed and started driving. "You're right I don't. You look good, by the way."

"Thank you." Rachel smiled, looking out the car window. She was so eager to meet the people there and go to her _first ever _college party.

They soon arrived to their destination and Rachel was the first to hop out of the car. She took a deep breath and straightened out her dress, looking down at it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, beginning to feel a bit nervous. Nathan noticed her awkward stance and walked over to her.

"You're gonna be fine. They're gonna love you." He said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Besides, they're college boys. They'll screw anything." He then laughed and walked into the party.

Rachel couldn't help but feel a bit relieved and followed him in. She kept close beside him and looked around the room. There were definitely more boys than girls, which was to be expected. A few guys came up to greet Nathan and offer him a beer. Rachel stood sheepishly beside him, hoping Nathan would introduce her, since they clearly knew him.

"Rachel, These are a few of my friends." He then began introducing them one by one to her. Rachel shook their hands and slyly checked all of them out. They all were good looking, but she had her eyes on the one on the far right of the group, whose name was Matt. She spent extra time getting to know him.

"So, how is the college life treating you?" Matt asked, speaking loudly over the blasting music.

"It's okay." She admitted. "There hasn't been much going on. I haven't really met anybody here."

"College is awesome!" He disagreed. "Is this your first party or something?"

"Yeah, actually. I haven't been invited to any until now." Rachel felt like a loser for saying that, since clearly everyone here partied daily.

"Well you can definitely come to any we throw. You're always welcome here," He smiled, taking a sip from his red plastic cup. "Would you like a drink?" He asked, offering his beverage to her.

"No thank you," She said, furrowing her brows. "I don't drink."

"What?" He asked, not convinced. "Why?"

"Well, I'm not 21 yet." She suddenly realized she wasn't meant for the college party lifestyle.

"Neither am I, but you don't see that stopping me," He laughed, chugging the rest of his drink and throwing it over his shoulder. "How about I introduce you to some of my other friends?" Matt asked, taking her hand and leading her to a group of people. She followed behind him and sighed, not really in the mood to party anymore.

"Okay, so there's Zach, Emma," He began slowly listing off his friends, pointing to each individual as he did so.

"Then there's Alex, Joe, and my man, Jesse." He finished, patting Jesse on the shoulder.

Rachel's eyes widened with disbelief. "Jesse St. James?" She asked, slowly walking closer to him, not sure what she was expecting.

"Rachel?" Jesse smiled, putting his cup down and pulling her into a hug. Rachel was shocked and hugged him back, tightly. This whole reunion happened so quickly, Rachel couldn't even get her emotions straight. She quickly pulled away from Jesse and remembered how he had left her in high school; with a cracked egg on her forehead. She couldn't find a way to put her emotions and words together, so she stood there, speechless, which was something that didn't happen often.

"Rachel, How have you been?" He continued smiling and grabbed both of her arms, looking her up and down. "You look gorgeous!"

"I've been okay," Rachel said, quickly pulling her arms away. She didn't want much to do with him.

"Wow, you've changed a lot since we were together." He said, still taking in her new appearance.

"Well, I've grown up." She folded her arms and looked up at him.

"So have I," He said. "I really have. I'm more mature now, I promise."

"None of the college boys are mature," She scoffed, looking at the party animals around her.

"But I'm an older college boy," Jesse reminded her. She'd forgotten that he had always been two grades ahead of her.

Rachel felt the need to keep this confrontation very short. She had to get away from him. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Jesse," She lied. "Have a good rest of the night," She finished, then quickly shuffled away to find Nate.

"Wait, Rach, hold up," He said, following behind her. He caught up to her and grabbed her hands. "Don't you wanna catch up? It's been a while since we've seen eachother." He was still silently checking her out as he spoke, but she chose to ignore it.

"No it's okay, we really don't need to do that," She insisted, slipping her hands out of his. "I should really find my friend and get going."

She honestly felt like crying. Seeing Jesse not only reminded her of home, but of the heartbreak he'd left her with in high school. For a girl as young as she was, she had loved him, but he had never been capable of loving her back. Every emotion he had during their relationship was all an act. He really should've won an Emmy.

"Rachel, do you want to talk? If there's something you want to say to me, just say it." It became clear that he wasn't going to let her leave without an explanation.

"Honestly Jesse, I just do not want to see or speak to you ever again." She angrily pushed past the crowd of people as quickly as she could to get away from him. She found Nate and stood beside him, beginning to tear up. Rachel dabbed the inner corners of her eyes, hoping that the tears wouldn't continue forming. She couldn't have anyone notice how upset she was, especially Jesse.

She frantically looked to make sure he wasn't anywhere near her. He was there, however, standing in front of her, looking confused and hurt. _He doesn't have the right to feel upset, _Rachel thought.

Jesse threw his arms up, almost as if he were saying he gives up. "Rachel, I am really sorry about what happened back in high school. I know that's what you're upset about," He sighed for a moment, thinking about what to say. "If I could go back in time to change how I treated you, I would. Believe me, I would." He seemed genuine when he spoke, something Rachel didn't really see back in high school. "What's done is done though, Rach. I can't change what's already happened. I wish I could, but it's not possible. I just hope we can move on from that and start over." He looked at her sadly, which Rachel felt bad about. He really did seem to regret what he'd done. She was still cautious, however. He has had a reputation of being an extremely convincing actor.

"I can't forgive you," Rachel finally managed, pulling her hair over to one side. "I can be an adult and move on, though."

Jesse smiled, relieved that she had finally agreed to forget his regretful situation in the past. It felt like the closure that he's needed. "I'm glad, Rachel. You don't know how guilty I've felt over the past few years. That's the one burden that's never managed to go away."

Rachel did begin to feel better knowing that he actually felt really sorry. She only wondered where they were going to go from here.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel decided to stick with Jesse through the existing duration of the party. It had been a while since they'd last seen each other, and she had always wondered what his life had been like without her. They sat on the sofa toward the back of the room, catching up on lost time.

"So, how did the rest of your high school career turn out for you?" Jesse asked, sipping his drink.

"It was fun. I didn't get made fun of as much toward the end. I was actually recognized and praised for my talent during my senior year," She boasted.

"I always knew they would love you at some point. You were always a star, Rachel Berry."

Rachel blushed softly and hid her face away from him. She didn't want him to see that he had an effect on her. Rachel's stomach turned a little, remembering that only moments ago had she despised Jesse, and now he was making her feel 16 again. She decided it'd be best to ignore his compliment and move on with the conversation.

"What about you?" Rachel asked, tucking her hair behind her ear and crossing her legs. "I'm sure your senior year was a successful one."

"Oh please," He laughed. "Every year in high school was successful for me."

Rachel remembered that he had a bit of arrogance to him, but that was one of the characteristics she was interested in. She herself was a bit arrogant, but only because she always felt she was too talented and experienced for high school show choir. Glee club had always been a boost to her self-confidence because she was the best performer there.

She nodded, laughing a little. "Right, I forgot." Rachel then searched around the room. "Hey, do you know what time it is?" She asked, turning back toward him.

"Uh, it's about one," He said, looking at the time on his phone.

"In the morning?" She asked, urgently propping herself up off the couch.

"Yeah. Is that late for you or something?" He raised an eyebrow, watching her stand there frantically.

"I guess not." She said softly, slowly sitting back down on the couch. "I usually go to bed pretty early, so this is a little different for me."

Jesse laughed and shook his head. "Nobody really sleeps when it comes to college parties."

"What do you mean? How late do you usually stay up?"

"We'll be awake 'til the sun comes up most of the time. One in the morning is nothing to us." He smiled, looking the least bit tired.

It was clear to Rachel that he had much more college experience than she did. She was curious as to everything he's done here, but she didn't want to seem nosey.

The conversation soon came to a halt and they sat silently beside each other for a while. Rachel awkwardly looked around the room, listening to the other loud conversations going on around her. She wasn't sure what else to say to him.

Jesse slowly turned toward her and cleared his throat, grabbing her attention. "How are you and Finn?" he asked delicately, remembering how Rachel had been sort of silently obsessed with him back in high school.

Rachel tensed up at the mention of his name and stared at Jesse, blankly. "We're not..," She paused, not really wanting to finish the sentence. Though she was angry at Finn, she still felt sad knowing that they weren't a couple any longer. He had been her first real love, and that's not something you can easily forget.

"Oh, I get it." He nodded. "How'd it end?"

She sighed, recalling the details of the last day Finn and her had been together. "He sort of forced me to go to school here, and left to join the army. I know he only did it because he loved me though."

She wasn't actually sure if he did it out of love, but that's what she's been telling herself. It was the only logical explanation she could think of that didn't hurt her.

"That's tough." Jesse reached over and rubbed her back supportively. She didn't really want him to, but she allowed it.

She wanted to steer away from the topic, so she quickly thought of something else to talk about.

"What about your friends from Vocal Adrenaline? Do you still hang out with any of them?" She crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the couch.

He shook his head. "We don't really talk anymore. All of them moved on to better things."

Rachel wondered what kind of things he had been referring to, but she just assumed he didn't feel like talking about it. She knew how much VA meant to him back then.

Hours passed and Rachel and Jesse kept the small talk flowing. Rachel realized that she actually enjoyed talking to Jesse again, which is something she'd never thought she would admit. People slowly began leaving the party until there were only about six people left, Jesse and Rachel being a part of it. Rachel figured it was time to wrap up the reunion and stood to say goodbye.

"It was nice seeing you again, Jesse." She meant it this time, and opened her arms for a hug. Jesse took the offer, and picked her up slightly.

"You too." He said, burying his face in her shoulder. He put her down and pulled away, taking in her appearance one last time before she left. "You really did look amazing tonight," He smiled.

"Thanks," She laughed, then quickly stopped herself. "I guess I'll see you around, then."

She waved gently and began walking away.

"Rachel, hold on," He stopped her. She stood in place and turned back around to face him. "How about we hang out again tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" She asked, surprised. She figured this would be the only time they would see each other. She didn't expect Jesse to _actually_ want to hang out again.

"Yeah," He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "I remember how much I loved hanging out with you, and I kind of want to start doing it again."

"I guess," she said slowly.

"Great," He smiled largely. Rachel loved his cheesy smile and was glad that she still had the ability to make him feel so happy.

"I kind of need your number, though. I want to be able to get a hold of you."

"Oh, right." She said, looking through her purse for her phone.

They exchanged numbers and said their goodbyes one last time.

Rachel returned to her dorm room and plopped onto her bed with a yawn. Her phone beeped and she quickly turned it on, assuming it was a message from Jesse.

She was right.

_Had a great time tonight. Hope we have an amazing time tomorrow as well. _

It was a short text, and she quickly responded.

_Me too. What is the plan for tomorrow?_

She sent the text and waited for the response. She quickly got a reply.

_It's a surprise. Be up and ready by 12._

She smiled and texted him back, letting him know that she would definitely be ready by then. She wasn't fond of surprises, but she was just glad that she was going to be able to spend a little extra time with Jesse St. James.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel woke up to the sound of her ringing alarm clock and quickly shut it off. She carefully opened her eyes, which were sensitive to the light after being closed for so long. She sat up on her bed and threw the sheets off of her, slowly placing her feet on the dorm room floor.

Rachel was typically a morning person. She usually got up at about 5:30 every morning to exercise, shower, and get ready for the day ahead of her. However, this morning was not at all like the others, since she stayed up late the night before at the party. She practically dreaded having to get up and face the day.

The only thing that motivated her was the fact that she was going to be hanging out with Jesse.

She stood up and shuffled downstairs to the girl's bathroom, where she took a quick, warm shower, which instantly woke her up. When she was finished, she wrapped a towel around herself and moved over to the sink to brush her teeth. After she'd finished doing her hair and makeup, Rachel headed back up the college steps and into her dorm room.

_I wish I knew what we were doing today so I could pick out the proper attire_, she thought, searching through her closet with uncertainty.

She figured she'd better play it safe with some fitted jeans and cozy, fashionable sweater. It's chilly out anyway, so whatever Jesse had planned for later, she'd be ready for it.

She quickly slipped on a pair of her comfy heels and looked at herself in the mirror. Rachel didn't think she looked as cute as she did the night before, but she hoped she would still impress him.

She took her phone out from her back pocket and checked the clock, hoping it was time for Jesse to pick her up.

It was 11:47.

Rachel was eager for him to arrive, and even though she only had to wait thirteen more minutes, it felt like forever.

She paced back and forth from the bed to the window, hoping to see his car pull up outside. She sat down on the bed and decided she would just wait it out. Her phone beeped and she practically jumped to pick it up from the table.

_I'm here._

She put her phone in her back pocket and calmly walked outside. She didn't want to seem like she was anxiously waiting for him to show up, even though she was.

"Hi," Jesse greeted her, leaning against the driver's side of the car.

"Hey," Rachel responded, smiling. "What do you have planned for us today?" She moved closer to him, spreading her arms for a hug.

"You'll see," He laughed, hugging her quickly. He then slid into the driver's seat.

Rachel walked around the front of the car and hopped into the seat beside him. She quickly buckled up and checked herself in the mirror.

"Why won't you tell me what we're doing?" She pressed her lips together, facing him while he drove.

"Because I want to surprise you," he said, keeping his eyes focused on the road.

"I really hate surprises. You know that."

"Well, it's a good surprise," he assured her.

Jesse pulled up to a stop light and leaned back against the seat. He turned toward her and smiled.

"You look good, as usual."

Rachel blushed and didn't bother trying to hide it.

"Thank you," she responded, graciously.

The light turned green and Jesse continued driving to the unknown destination. Rachel sat patiently, looking out the car window, wondering where he could possibly be taking her.

Suddenly the car came to a stop.

"We're here," he smiled cheesily, looking at Rachel to see her reaction.

Rachel looked ahead only to see a restaurant called _Ellen's Stardust Diner._

"Where are we?" Rachel asked, confused as to why he would bring her here.

"Ellen's Stardust Diner. This is where people who want their big break go to get noticed. The performances are really fun, and the waitstaff are actually quite good at singing. It's a classic dinner and a show."

Jesse unbuckled his seatbelt and swung open his car door. Rachel did the same and they walked side by side into the diner.

They approached the waiting area and Jesse walked up to one of the waitresses.

"Table for two," Jesse smiled, looking at Rachel.

"Name?" the waitress replied.

"Jesse St. James."

"Oh, right this way."

The waitress walked to a small table toward the back and placed the menus down.

Jesse nodded gratefully and took a seat across from Rachel.

"This place is wonderful," Rachel said, looking around restaurant. It looked like a giant Broadway set of some sort, with metal bars everywhere.

"Wait 'til they start singing," Jesse said. "It gets even better."

As soon as he said that, a loud voice announced the first two performers.

"The first ones up to bat are our servers Jennifer and Tony singing _Ain't No Mountain High Enough._"

A skinny, short, blonde girl, who looked to be about 19, stood up on one of the tables across from Jesse and Rachel. She was beside a tall, brown haired guy wearing oversized glasses. The girl was dressed in a black shirt and long red skirt, while the guy was wearing a black, button down shirt with a red tie wrapped around the collar.

The music began playing and the boy started off the song with a powerful, clearly trained voice.

_Listen, baby, _He began, looking directly at Rachel.

Rachel was a little thrown off, but she figured that was part of the performance.

_Ain't no mountain high enough_

_Ain't no valley low_

_Ain't no river wide enough, baby_

The guy, whose name is Tony according to what the announcer said, performed like a natural. Everyone was looking at him while he sang. Rachel began to wonder as to why he hasn't made it in show-business already. He clearly had a gift. It made her curious as to if she would ever have a shot at fame if these people couldn't even get it.

The girl, named Jennifer, joined in during the chorus. She was also talented, but she lacked the obvious experience and drive that Tony had.

Jesse and Rachel watched the performers finish up the rest of the song, and clapped when the music ended.

"What did I tell you?" Jesse asked, looking at Rachel. "Wasn't it amazing?"

Rachel nodded, smiling brightly. "They were really good."

"I bet we could do better," he said, reaching across the table to place a hand on top of hers.

Rachel looked down at their hands and shrugged. "Maybe." She slipped her hand out from underneath his and placed it on her lap.

Several more waitors performed and all of them were equally talented.

Rachel and Jesse finished up their meals and Jesse insisted on paying for it.

"You really don't have to do that. I can pay for my half," She assured him.

"No, Rach. I planned this date, I can pay for it." Jesse put his card on the bill and handed it to the waitress.

_Date. _Rachel kept repeating the word in her head. She felt like it was a date, but she didn't think that's what he thought it was. She always loved going on dates with Jesse, but it felt unfamiliar to her now.

"Should we get going?" Jesse stood up from the table, slipping his card back into his wallet.

Rachel nodded and they headed out.

Jesse drove Rachel back and parked outside of the building.

"I had a lot of fun," Rachel smiled.

"Me too. We should do this all the time," Jesse said, looking at her.

"Do what? Go to Ellen's Stardust Diner?" She wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about.

"No," he laughed. "I meant go on dates."

Rachel was stunned. _Dates?_ She thought to herself. She didn't think he would want to go on _multiple _dates. She figured this would be a one time thing.

"Um, we'll see, I guess." She quickly fumbled with her seatbelt until it unbuckled, then threw the car door open.

"Wait, Rach," Jesse urgently put a hand on her arm, letting her know that he didn't want her to leave yet. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you want to go on more dates?" He asked. He felt a bit hurt that Rachel didn't seem into it.

Rachel shrugged and closed the car door. "I'm not sure. I didn't really expect all of this to happen." She frowned, throwing her arms up.

"You didn't expect what to happen?" He was just as confused as she was about this situation.

"I didn't expect to see you here in college, and I didn't expect to forgive you, and I definitely didn't expect to go on a date with you, but yet, we did." Rachel closed her eyes trying to make sense of the last few days. "This just happened really fast." She laughed a little, feeling uncomfortable.

"I get it," He said, running his hand down her arm, hoping to comfort her a little. "It did happen quickly, but that's not a bad thing. We haven't seen each other in years, Rachel. And yet we just happen to be going to the same college, and we're finally able to catch up," he smiled, warmly. "I've missed you a lot, Rachel, and we both have changed _so_ much."

Rachel nodded, feeling better about it all.

"You're right," She finally said. "I'm being silly. I have to admit, I've actually been having a lot of fun spending time with you."

"Me too," Jesse agreed. "I just really like being around you, and that's why I would love to hang out with you more."

Rachel nodded, smiling lightly. "I should really get going now."

"Can we hang out again sometime?" Jesse needed to be reassured that she wasn't going ignore him.

"Of course," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

Jesse smiled and Rachel hopped out of the car, walking toward the building. She turned around and waved quickly. Jesse waved back and slowly began driving off.

Rachel watched his car leave, and once he was out of sight, she sighed and walked inside. She reached her dorm room and immediately collapsed onto her bed. Though the past few days had been confusing, she couldn't help but love the time she'd been able to spend with Jesse. It may be complicated, but she's determined to be with him all the time, and when Rachel Berry has a goal, she is driven to reach it.


	4. Chapter 4

(I know this is short, but I've been writing quite a bit and I still wanted to leave you with a little something. So, here you go. Enjoy and feel free to review!)

"He took you where?" Nathan asked through the phone.

"Ellen's Stardust Diner," Rachel replied, twisting the phone cord around her index finger, like in one of those cheesy teen gossip movies from the early 90's.

"It was _surprisingly _entertaining," She confessed. "And all of the servers there were actually talented." Rachel rolled over on her bed so that she was facing the ceiling. She smiled to herself, recalling every detail of the date she had experienced earlier.

"I didn't even know that place existed," Nathan chuckled. "But I'm glad you had a good time."

Rachel sighed happily. "Thanks, Nate." She wasn't sure what else there was to talk about. She only called Nathan to gush about the wonderful time she spent with Jesse.

"So," she paused. "Is there anything new going on with you? Have you had any hot dates?"

"Well, if you _must_ know," he said. "I've been seeing this guy.."

Rachel could hear his smile through the phone. She propped herself up on her elbows to ready herself for the details.

Nathan continued. "His name is Jeremy. He's_ super_ cute, and _supe_r sweet. He took me bowling today, and let me tell you, he's _really_ good with handling bowling balls."

Rachel laughed, knowing that he had a good time.

Nathan finished explaining the details of his date, and the two said their goodbyes.

"It was nice talking to you, Nate."

"You too, Rach. Tell me if anything else happens with Mr. St James."

"I will," Rachel giggled. "Night."

"G'Night."

Rachel ended the call and rolled over onto her side. She bit her lower lip, thinking about how much she's been enjoying her time with Jesse.

She thought about him for a while, then decided she would rather hear his voice. Rachel picked her phone up from the nightstand and punched in his number on the key pad. After about three rings, she heard the call pick up.

"Hello?" Jesse whispered through the phone. "Who is this?"

Rachel remembered she had never called him from the land line before, so he wasn't able to recognize her number.

"Oh, it's Rachel," she said, slowly sitting up and propping herself up against the headboard.

"Hi Rachel," he said happily. "What's up?"

"Well, I was just thinking about the wonderful time I had with you today and figured I would give you a call."

"Oh, okay," he chuckled, not knowing how to respond.

"I thought maybe we could, uh.." She paused in an attempt to get her thoughts together. "I thought we should get together again tomorrow."

"You mean go on another date?" he asked slowly.

She smiled and nodded, even though he wasn't able to see her through the phone.

"Yeah. I think it'll be fun. I mean, if you want to. I know you might be tired, so we don't _have_ to go on another date, it was just a suggestion," she rambled.

"No, I _want _to," He said with certainty. "What time should I be there to pick you up?"

"Actually, I thought that we could, maybe, go out for a walk around the city." She waited for him to react to the proposal, but he was silent. She decided to continue speaking.

"I figured it'd be fun to go people watching and check out some of the local shops. There's a lot to explore here, and since you've been here longer than I have, you could probably show me around a bit."

"That sounds great, Rachel," he finally said, with an enthusiastic tone. "It's perfect."

"Good," she smiled, relieved that he was interested. "I'll meet you outside of the coffee shop on 42nd street tomorrow at eleven, okay?"

"I'll be there," he guaranteed. "Tomorrow at eleven."

"Okay. Well, I better get some sleep. Don't want to be tired for our date." She sprawled out on her bed, sighing softly.

"Alright, Rach. Good night."

"Good night."

She hung up the phone and snuggled into one of her pillows, smiling contently to herself. She finally closed her heavy eyelids and fell asleep thinking about the busy and blissful day she had planned for tomorrow.


End file.
